@jordansalama19

As Roosevelt Ave nears the end of its eastward course, it passes by the Unisphere, the iconic Queens Globe of Flushing Meadows Park. In springtime, families take pictures at golden hour in their best sunshine saris, their tennis skirts and collared shirts amid an explosion of color and bloom. I often think about what it means to be American on my walks along Roosevelt—what it means to be the product of so many different stories and struggles and heritages that have led us to one singular, raucous mix of a place. In this country that so deeply strives for assimilation, there is often pressure to distill our identities, to make them more palatable for others looking on. But what is both so special and so hard about Queens is that assimilation does not come easy. I think about this with every scene that crosses my gaze. I think about it when my own family, a blend of cultures shaped by migrations, ventures out to this neighborhood for tastes of a past that continues to mark our future here. I thought about this when I met one undocumented woman from Mexico named Ana who has been here now for 20 years…I told her I’d recently been to her homeland and asked her which part she was from…Instead of answering right away she touched my wrist and looked into my eyes and asked me how it was. 📸 @nataliekeyssar #portraits #queens #newyork @meanwhilebackinqueens #natgeo #travel #nyc #adventure #world #diversity #spring #bloom #flushing #tennis #usopen #stories #writing #explore #culture #history #writinglife #community #family #jacksonheights @queensofqueensnyc #love #peace #respect #amazing #heritage